www.qa.ameren.com
Back to Billing Options

Budget Billing

Even out your monthly payments

We know you want options when it comes to paying your energy bill.

Budget Billing is a free option that helps level out seasonal changes in your energy bill by dividing the previous year’s usage into predictable baseline monthly payments. The result is more peace of mind and an energy bill that stays the same – even when the temperature outside doesn’t.

For your convenience, we offer two Budget Billing options:

With the Rollover option, the end-of-year difference between the cost of energy used and the amount you paid will continuously roll over, as a charge or payment that will be divided across the next twelve months. This avoids having to pay an unexpected fee all at once.

The Settlement option allows you to “settle up” the difference between the cost of energy used during the previous year and the amount you paid up to that point. You’ll “settle up” with a one-time payment or credit on your account once every 12 months.

A review is performed on the fourth and eighth month after your enrollment in Budget Billing to help keep your payments levelized throughout the year. If the new amount is higher by $3.00 or more, the new amount becomes your new Budget Billing payment. This helps keep your amount close to your actual usage, which is shown next to the budget billing amount on your bill.
Residential customers are eligible for Budget Billing in most circumstances. Examples of what could cause an account to be ineligible are:
  • New construction (no usage history)
  • Property that has been vacant long enough to affect the monthly average
  • A past due balance
During your settlement month, you are billed your actual usage for that billing period as well as the difference for the year compared to the amount billed for Budget Billing. This could be a credit or a debit depending on your actual usage amount. If a Budget Billing plan is stopped without going through a full 12 month cycle, the account may not have had a chance to equalize and therefore left a balance.
Sometimes dividing up monthly expenses between roommates can be challenging - and no one wants the surprise of a higher utility bill. Use the Budget Billing option, and you and your roommates can pay the same amount every month!
Alert Info
X